This invention relates to a mounting bracket adapted for attachment to a bed for holding various items, and more particularly to a mounting bracket adapted to be selectively attached to the side rails of hospital beds or the like for holding various objects for use by a bedridden person.
The specialized beds used in hospitals, nursing homes and convalescent facilities have side rails that can be raised to preclude a bedridden person from falling out and can be lowered to permit the person to exit when necessary. Although articles such as glasses or cups of fluid and other items desired by a bedridden person may be placed on a table or stand adjacent the bed, the side rails on such beds when in the raised position prevent a bedridden person, especially one who is infirm, from reaching over the rail to remove the item from the table. Thus, it is desirable to have the ability to mount such items and other sundry items at a location more convenient to such person.
The side rails on such beds have at least a pair of longitudinally extending rails fastened to slideably mounted uprights at the head and foot ends of the bed and the rails have become convenient mounting locations for a number of bed rail supported brackets. For example, in Nilson U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,772 a urinal holder has a pair of arcuate hooks conforming to the diameter of the upper bed rail supported by a respective spring so that the hook can be disposed about the upper rail, and has a lower arcuate hook adjustably carried on the rear of the holder for positioning about the adjacent lower rail. In DeLong U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,881, a tray support having a pair of arcuate hooks which mount about an upper rail carries a pivotably mounted telescoping arm having a lower arcuate hook for clamping about a lower bed rail. In Pruente et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,522 a telephone support has an arcuate hook which snaps onto the upper bed rail and includes a downwardly extending bent hook which merely engages one of the lower rails and is held in position by capture thereof at the edge of the mattress. In Hamm U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,154 a telephone holder has an arcuate hook member for grasping the upper rail with the bottom of the holder merely abutting a pair of upright rails extending between the longitudinal rails. In Jenssen U.S. Pat. No. 3,340,826 a bed tray includes a movable arcuate hook which can mount about the upper bed rail while a downwardly extending portion of the tray merely abuts a pair of other longitudinally extending bed rails. Other known prior art wherein a bracket for clamping onto to spaced apart rails for supporting a member comprise Christine et al where a support member has an arcuate slot for clamping onto an upper rail and a lower slot for clamping about a lower rail, the support member being a dispensing rack for pourable materials. Other patents located during a prior art search conducted prior to the filing of the instant application include: Rose U.S. Pat. No. 1,219,158; Beabberl U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,840; Maffei U.S. Pat. No. 4,410,158; Winckler U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,673; and Waddell et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,113, which except for Babberl have various means for attaching objects to a bed.
The limitations of the known prior art are apparent. Except for Nilson and DeLong none of the known prior art has an adjustable feature for taking into consideration the varying space between the longitudinally extending rails of the bed side rails. Each of these patents, however, are limited to the mounting of specific devices such as either a urinal or a tray holder. Additionally, the adjustable feature in each of these patents requires a wingnut to be tightened to position the member properly, and both require the use of metallic material thereby resulting in relatively expensive manufacturing costs.